NCSG Now Accepting Presentation Proposals for Makeover Montgomery 4 Conference in May 2018

Presentations should focus on innovative planning and policy tools, and strategies that can help transform our suburbs into exciting, attractive and sustainable communities. Multiple session tracks will attract a diverse audience that includes practitioners, academics and interested community members from the DC area and across the nation. Conference themes and suggested topics include the following:

Competitive Communities
How must American suburbs change to be competitive in tomorrow’s economy? This track will tackle issues related to developing a diverse, educated and sustainable workforce, as well as other strategies for economic development and job growth. Topics include workplace innovations, mixed-use strategies and building the creative culture necessary to succeed in emerging markets.

Healthy Communities
What can suburban communities do to encourage active lifestyles for their residents? Advancing state-of-the-art approaches to increase walkability, reduce the stress of cycling and enhance recreation opportunities, this track will identify ways to create energized and engaging public spaces for healthier communities. Additional track topics could include access to healthy food and innovative concepts like park prescriptions, which partner parks departments with health insurers and medical doctors to encourage healthy living through exercise and outdoor activities.

Inclusive Communities
How can our increasingly diverse suburban communities promote social justice and equity for all? This track highlights efforts to inspire and educate community leaders to tackle issues of environmental justice, advance opportunities for affordable housing and uphold tenant rights.

Smart Communities
How will advancements in technology improve public services, change how our communities function and impact growth patterns? This track will address the planning-related impacts of big data and crowd-sourcing analytics, implementation of data sensors and smart technologies, and increased use of drones. Additional topics include the integration of autonomous vehicles and the role of technology incubators.